Strategic Planning Update: A year in review . . .
The Strategic Planning Committee is hosting a town hall from 3-4:30 p.m. Thursday,
Sept. 19, in 208 Hubbard Hall.
The September town hall will provide an opportunity to share the results of the committee’s
work on input received at the May 2 town hall. All feedback was reviewed, evaluated
and incorporated into the update that will be shared on Sept. 19. The town hall meeting
is open to all members of the campus community, and the Wichita community at large.
Prior to the September Town Hall, please take a moment to review the Strategic Planning
Update. Visit the website and submit your feedback on or before Thursday, Sept. 12.
See Strategic Plan Update for more information.
Kansas NASA EPSCoR Program calls for proposals for Partnership Development Grant
With support from NASA and the Kansas Board of Regents - the Kansas NASA EPSCoR Program
(KNEP) is preparing to award Partnership Development Grants (PDG) to Kansas investigators,
under the KNEP Research Infrastructure Development (RID) program.
These grants are intended to facilitate the development of beneficial and promising
NASA collaborations. The PDG recipient is expected to initiate, develop, and formalize
a meaningful professional relationship with a NASA researcher. Given this expectation,
it is vital investigators and students travel to a NASA center if selected for an
award.
Ideally the faculty member, student, and research host become co-participants in a
promising research effort. Indeed, the PDG award should lead to sustained collaborations,
joint publications, and, most importantly, future grant proposals.
Please see solicitation for additional information and proposal guidelines. Questions
about the solicitation can be directed to nasainkansa@wichita.edu.
Click here for more information about the Partnership Development Grant.
Flu shots available on campus
WSU HR Total Rewards team is once again hosting on-site flu shots, available to State of Kansas employees and their spouses who are currently enrolled in SEHP medical insurance. If registration is closed or no appointments are available in the online scheduler, a limited number of walk-in appointments will be accepted each day. Please note that walk-in appointments may experience longer wait times.
8 a.m.-4 p.m. Friday, Sept. 20, in 258 RSC (Online scheduler closes Sept. 13)
8 a.m.-4 p.m. Friday, Oct. 4, in 264 RSC (Online scheduler closes Sept. 27)
Click here to register and schedule an appointment online for any of the State of Kansas clinics.
If you participated in a clinic last year and completed a profile, you will be prompted to reset your password.
Note: Employees located in Kansas in a city other than Wichita can select a different on-site location by using the same registration link. However, individuals are encouraged to contact the alternate site in advance to confirm access, as not all sites are open to the public.
Click here for the Guide to creating your account and using the online scheduler.
Shocker Circle registration is open now!
Registration is now open for the Shocker Circles.
Circles are intended to be an engagement process for collaboration and understanding
as it relates to shared governance. Each participant is assigned to a table at random
and each will have a trained facilitator. The principles and practices of the circle
process provide a structure that allows and encourages idea sharing and conversation.
Visit the website were more information on the Shocker Circles can be found.
Shocker Circle event registration.
WSU Testing Services completes recertification
Wichita State University Testing Services has been recertified, maintaining national
recognition.
With millions of educational, certification, and licensure tests administered in
the U.S. every year, the need for secure testing environments and trained testing
staff has never been greater. One local test center has set the bar high for other
post-secondary test centers and achieved national status as a leader in excellent
testing practices.
Wichita State University Testing Services has been recertified by the National College
Testing Association (NCTA). Criteria for certification are rigorous and are based
on the NCTA Professional Standards and Guidelines, which were developed to guide post-secondary
test centers in the delivery of quality testing programs.
Wichita State University Testing Services is one of a growing number of test centers
in the U.S. and Canada to have completed this intensive recertification process. This
recertification will be in place for five years and can be renewed by demonstrating
continued compliance to national standards.
Congratulations are extended to Kimberly Bailey and the entire staff at the Wichita
State University Testing Services for maintaining high test administration standards
and for providing excellent service to a wide variety of students and community members
in the performance of their duties.
The National College Testing Association, a non-profit organization dedicated to
the promotion of professionalism and high quality service in the administration of
testing programs, offers certification to college and university test centers that
demonstrate exemplary practices. NCTA membership numbers more than 2,200 testing professionals
from 650 colleges and universities as well as 50 test companies and organizations
offering test-related products and services.
www.ncta-testing.org
Contact the Wichita State University Testing Services at 978-3440 for more information
about the numerous testing services provided, or go to www.wichita.edu/testing.
Business Continuity tabletop exercise coming Oct. 11
The Business Continuity tabletop exercise is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 11, at the Marcus Welcome Center, Armstrong Room. The trainer will lead us in a simulated event to test the business continuity plan for each area. You must bring a printed copy of your plan, along with pencil and paper; we will not be using computers or hand-held devices to access our plans. The report that you need to print is on your Reports tab at the bottom of the page titled “Flash Report”. It is about 10 pages long.
Check in starts at 1 p.m., and the exercise will start promptly at 1:30 p.m. We will serve refreshments, and hope to conclude the exercise by 5 p.m. Please put this on your calendar, as this is not optional, someone from your department is required to participate in the simulation.
Registration information is available below.
To register for the exercise, log in to myWSU. On the Faculty / Staff tab, select myTraining.
- Select the All Training Calendar from the home page OR the Events calendar from the myTraining Options tab.
- Advance to October and click Business Continuity Planning Tabletop Exercise on the Oct. 11.
- After selecting the Request button, you will receive an automatic email to add the session to your Outlook calendar.
If you need assistance, email myTraining@wichita.edu or call ext. 5800.
More information about the Business Continuing Plan is available here.
Refresher training will be held from 8 a.m.-noon Friday, Oct. 11, in 124 Jabara Hall. This is an open lab and registration is not necessary. You may come-and-go as your schedule allows. A trainer from Bold Planning will be there to assist you with any challenges you may have in getting your plan ready.
If you have questions regarding your plan or the exercise, contact Ellen Abbey at 978-5864 or ellen.abbey@wichita.edu.
Faculty mentors sought for First-Year Research Experience (FYRE) in STEM
The Cohen Honors College is seeking faculty mentors to work with students selected to participate in the First-Year Research Experience (FYRE) in STEM. Faculty should apply by Oct. 15, and are also encouraged to nominate graduate students to serve as FYRE mentors. All mentors will be matched with students based on interest and research projects should be designed to be carried out in the Spring 2020 semester. Questions may be directed to Moriah Beck at moriah.beck@wichita.edu or 978-5476.
Learn more about the First-Year Research Experience (FYRE) in STEM program at an information session led by Moriah Beck at 4 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 12, in the Cohen Honors College seminar room in Shocker Hall.
First-Year Research Experience
Shocker Store to have $6 T-shirts for one day only!
The first one-day-only T-shirt sale of the school year will begin at 8 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 10, at the Shocker Store (RSC-location only). Two styles of T-shirts will be available for $6 each, while supplies last. Limit three per customer. Sale is in-store only. Offer not valid with other discounts or promotions and all sales are final.
Involvement in out-of-class opportunities can be the difference between better and best
How do students complement their classroom experience and stand out among other job applicants? By taking advantage of connection and involvement opportunities outside of the classroom and strengthening leadership skills.
From completing the Leadership Certificate program to becoming an elected leader in a group to landing a summer internship, students should take advantage of opportunities outside of class. Help students find involvement opportunities by visiting www.wichita.edu/involvement.
To explore internships and other career resources, direct them to www.wichita.edu/careers.
Last chance: Registration for Engage WSU 2019 closes on Tuesday, Sept. 10
From 7:30 a.m.-noon Friday, Sept. 13, the Public Policy and Management Center and
the Division of Diversity and Community Engagement will present Engage WSU, a day
that brings together university, public, nonprofit, and community leaders for current
research and knowledge exchange in public service. Reserve your spot now, because
registration for this event will close tomorrow (Tuesday, Sept. 10).
Engage WSU will be held at WSU's Marcus Welcome Center, and will feature a keynote
address from Lt. Gov. Lynn Rogers, parting words from retired Sedgwick County undersheriff
Brenda Dietzman, a presentation on placemaking from WSU’s Placemaking Coordinator
Kristin Beal, and various breakout sessions.
The breakout session topics will include Media Coverage of Community Driven Issues;
Profiles of High Utilizers of Mental Health Community Services; Continuing the Connecting
Conversation: Talent & Retention; and Diversity and Community Engagement.
Learn more about Engage WSU and register here.
SPTE Request forms are coming soon
Student Perception of Teaching Effectiveness (SPTE) Request forms will be mailed to your department in the next couple of days. If you would like, you can choose to complete a fillable pdf request form at https://wichita.edu/SPTE_forms located on our website. You can also get additional SPTE information on our website at www.wichita.edu/sslab.
'Writing Now, Reading Now' series presents reading by Poet Ilya Kaminsky tomorrow (Tuesday, Sept. 10)
Born in the former Soviet Union, American poet Ilya Kaminsky has enchanted readers
and electrified audiences for more than a decade. Now, his new book, DEAF REPUBLIC,
is perhaps the most wildly praised poetry book of the year. Partly deaf since childhood,
Kaminsky has created a work of “profound imagination” (The New Yorker)—a mix of fairy
tale and political parable—in which a town's people go deaf in solidarity with a deaf
boy shot by military police. Kaminsky writes in a joyous, life-affirming spirit that
uplifts and gives courage, even as it grieves and protests. The result will astonish:
a timeless story that speaks uniquely to our time and our divided nation.
This event is free and open to the public. The reception begins at 5:30 p.m., and
the reading begins at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 10, in McKnight Art Center. Books will
be available, and a book signing will follow. The event is co-sponsored by the Department
of English, the Department of Modern and Classical Languages and Literature, the Ulrich
Museum, and Watermark Books.
Join the Graduate School for the next event in their Professional Development Series, Speak for Success
In a competitive world, knowing your audience and speaking effectively is key. Learn how to synthesize your research, speak persuasively, and explain the significance of your findings to different audiences.
Join the Graduate School with presenters Lisa Parcell and Sandy Sipes of the Elliott School of Communication for the next event in the Graduate School Professional Development Series, Speak for Success, from noon-1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 11, in 142 RSC, to learn overall presentation skills and how to give an effective elevator speech!
Professional Development Series events
Ulrich 'Solving for X' exhibition embraces accessibility for blind, visually- and mobility-impaired
The exhibition, “Solving for X=Accessibility: GuideBeacon,” is one of three new shows that the Ulrich Museum of Art will unveil at its Fall Exhibition Opening Party, which will be held at the museum from 5-8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 12.
Alison Roets has been legally blind since birth. A senior from Derby majoring in Strategic Communications at Wichita State University, Roets is also a student employee at WSU’s Ulrich Museum of Art.
Pictured above: WSU senior Alison Roets listens to a vivid description of a Roger Shimomura painting in the Ulrich Museum. (Image courtesy of the Ulrich Museum.)
“At first I thought it was a little weird to have a partially-blind person working
the front desk of an art museum,” she said. Weird mostly because Roets said she doesn’t
visit art museums. Although she can make out shapes and colors if she gets up-close
to objects, most art museums just aren’t set up to accommodate her.
“It’s not something that’s thought about often since art is such a visual subject,”
she said.
Still, Roets and her guide dog, Piper, have become popular figures at the Ulrich,
where she spends her shifts telling others how they can view the various galleries
that, so far, she has not been able to fully experience.
However, that will soon change thanks to an exhibition sponsored by Envision, a Wichita-based
organization with locations in 11 states, whose mission is to improve the quality
of life and provide inspiration and opportunity for people who are blind or visually
impaired.
The Ulrich is working with Vinod Namboodiri, professor of Electrical Engineering
and Computer science at WSU and senior scientist at the Envision Research Institute,
who is developing GuideBeacon, a wayfinding app that uses bluetooth beacons to assist
blind and visually impaired (BVI) people in navigating indoor and outdoor spaces.
The installation of GuideBeacon at the Ulrich is an exciting new application of the
accessibility technology that is being collaboratively developed between Envision
and WSU through a National Science Foundation grant.
For the exhibition, the Ulrich will transform its Grafly Gallery into a test site
for GuideBeacon by offering multi-sensory access to a selection of works of art from
the Museum’s permanent collection. The five works from the collection will each be
displayed next to touchable tactile graphics of the work produced by WSU’s Instructional
Design and Access team. GuideBeacon will be loaded with audio guides that provide
vivid descriptions and contemporary contexts for each piece.
Ulrich Director Leslie Brothers, who invented the “Solving for X” series, said the
exhibition is a commitment to joining other art museums around the world in trying
to make art more accessible to everyone.
“We will move forward from this test site exhibition to include vivid descriptions
and tactile graphics for all of our future shows,” Brothers said. “It’s part of our
commitment to make the Museum more inclusive.”
Roets, meanwhile, said she is very excited for the exhibition to start.
“I hope it brings a ton of the BVI community to the museum, and that they recognize
the Ulrich as a place willing to take the extra steps,” she said.
Career Ready Workshop: Critical Thinking and Teamwork - Sept. 11
Employers are looking for Wichita State graduates to be Career Ready — meaning you
know how to use your talents, strengths, and interests. Being Career Ready means,
you can recognize and demonstrate the competencies identified by employers that are
crucial to a successful transition into the workplace.
Our workshops are designed to help you understand the meaning of these competencies,
learn how to identify and exhibit these skills, and how to develop them further right
now.
Join us for our second workshop in the Career Ready series - Critical Thinking and
Teamwork.
Mikrokosmos Literary Journal is accepting submissions from students, faculty, and staff
Wichita State's Literary Journal Mikrokosmos is now open for submissions! Each year,
we publish a print journal with the creative work of Wichita State faculty, staff,
students, and alum.
We are looking for great pieces of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Submissions are
open until Nov. 15. All pieces can be sent to mojoeditors@gmail.com with the subject line "Mikro 66 Submission." Pieces should be attached in a word
doc or PDF. For submission guidelines, see below.
Fiction: Please send a single story under 6,000 words. If you are submitting flash
fiction, include up to three stories in a single document.
Nonfiction: Please send a single story under 6,000 words.
Poetry: Send up to four poems at a time, or eight pages maximum.
If chosen for publication, you will be paid a flat rate of $15. If you have any questions,
let us know at mojoeditors@gmail.com. We look forward to reading your work!
Send first-gen students to TRIO Student Support Services
Student Support Services (SSS) is funded by the U.S. Department of Education to provide free academic services to students from First Generation (FG) and Limited Income (LI) backgrounds as well as students with disabilities.
The free services include; individualized tutoring, academic advising; textbook loans; assistance completing financial aid application; and scholarships exclusively for student participants. Please refer prospective students to our program, located on the third floor of Grace Wilkie Hall in Suite 309. For more information, visit Student Support Services or call 978-3715.
Career Closet - Sept. 10
WSU students who need professional clothing for career fairs, interviews, and professional development opportunities should come to the Career Development Center’s Career Closet event from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. tomorrow (Tuesday, Sept. 10), in Brennan III.
Items available may include suits, dress pants, professional shirts or blouses, professional skirts, belts, neckties, briefcases, shoes, cuff links, tie clips, and more. Items are free to WSU students with WSU ID. No appointment necessary. Just stop by!
For questions / information contact 978-3688 or CareerDevelopment@wichita.edu
University Libraries to hold two Savvy Researcher Workshops
University Libraries will hold two Savvy Researcher workshops this week.
The first workshop, “Using Library Databases: Tips and Tricks," will be from 4-5
p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 11, in 217 Ablah Library. Save time and get better results in
your research utilizing techniques like proximity searching, setting filters and limits,
and using thesauri and wildcards.
The second, “Introduction to Endnote," will be from noon-1 p.m. Friday, Sept. 13,
in 217 Ablah Library. Learn to use Endnote to upload citation data from library databases,
create new citations in various citation styles, organize citations, and insert citations
into a MS Word document.
For more information, call Angie Paul at 978-5084.
The next session of Managing the Employment Relationship is Wednesday Oct. 9
The next session of Managing the Employment Relationship Training is scheduled for
Wednesday, Oct. 9, in 264 Rhatigan Student Center. To register for this training,
go to myTraining through myWSU.
This course is provided for leaders who supervise employees (UP, USS, students),
and will focus on the overall employment relationship. It will provide guidance on
managing performance, setting expectations, how to identify when an employee has not
met expectations, and how to effectively address those concerns. This could include
concerns with attendance, job performance, conflict with coworkers, etc. This training
will also introduce you to tools to use to effectively document an unmet expectation.
If you have questions, contact mytraining@wichita.edu.
Get your idea off the ground with E-Launch!
Have a product or business idea? Let E-Launch help you take the critical first steps in starting your business! Avoid spectacular failures in execution by learning before you launch, not after. Student/faculty I-Corps Teams attend free and receive seed money. Learn about I-Corps at wichita.edu/icorps and register for E-Launch at wichita.edu/elaunch!
WSU's largest food pantry just keeps growing
The Shocker Support Locker food pantry has received a major overhaul in infrastructure and policy in the last year. Regular donations now arrive from multiple partners on and off campus, including a recent annual pledge from Pepsi Co.
Read complete story on the Shocker Support Locker.
SAMPE Wichita Golf Tournament 2019
The SAMPE Wichita Chapter golf tournament will be held at 9 a.m. Monday Sept. 16,
at the Reflection Ridge Golf Course, 7700 W. Reflection Road. The tournament will
raise funds for the Darrel Dugan Scholarship, which awards scholarships for local
engineering students pursuing degrees in material and process engineering. The entry
fee is $100 per player, and will cover green fees, cart fees, lunch, drinks, tickets,
and prizes. The tournament will be a four-person scramble with shotgun start. The
entry deadline is tomorrow (Tuesday, Sept. 10).
If you would like to volunteer to help during this event (such as registration, awards
ceremonies, score keeping, or beverage carts), please fill out the form. Lunch will be provided for all volunteers. For more information, contact wichitasampechapter@gmail.com.
Enjoy 60 cent deals for the RSC's 60th Anniversary
To celebrate the RSC’s 60th Anniversary, the RSC is offering some great $0.60 deals
at various dining options! Valid all week Sept. 9-13, you can enjoy the following:
- 60 cent wings at the Shocker Sports Grill & Lanes (minimum 4)
- 60 cent cookie with purchase at Chick-Fil-A
- 60 cent cake pop with purchase at Starbucks
- 60 cent scoop of custard with purchase at Freddy’s
- 60 cent small fountain drink with purchase at all first floor food court locations
Here’s more information on this and other RSC 60th Anniversary-related activities.
www.wichita.edu/rsc60.
Sit down for a Contraception Coffee Chat with a college health specialist!
Student Health Services is hosting a Contraception Coffee Chat from 9-11 a.m. Friday, Sept. 20, in 209 Ahlberg Hall. Just walk in for a 15-minute consultation visit about your birth-control needs, and enjoy a cup of coffee!
Future appointments will include exams and any prescriptions discussed between you and our college health specialists.
Additional chats will be held on Oct. 18 and Nov. 15.
Basketball scrimmage, garage sale set for Oct. 5
It's out with the old and in with the new on Saturday, Oct. 5 when Wichita State hosts
its annual athletic department garage sale followed by the 2019 Black & Yellow Scrimmage.
From 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Shocker fans will get their first look at the 2019-20 men's
and women's basketball teams during an intrasquad doubleheader. The women take the
court first, followed by the men.
Fans are also invited to stop by the garage sale that morning from 7-9:45 a.m. inside
the Aetna Multi-Purpose Gym (enter through the exterior doors on the east side of
Charles Koch Arena). Items are available on a first-come, first-served basis, and
include jerseys and uniforms, assorted apparel, bags, and equipment. Prices listed
are non-negotiable. Customers are encouraged to pay with cash, however, credit cards
will also be accepted.
More information on the basketball scrimmage.
Wichita State Blood Drive coming Sept. 19-20
Make your life-saving appointment for the Wichita State Blood Drive from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 19, and Friday, Sept. 20, in the Heskett Center lobby. To schedule your appointment, go to www.redcrossblood.org; enter sponsor code: Wichita State or call 1-800-Red-Cross.
Don’t forget to save time by using RapidPass to complete your pre-donation reading and health history online before you come to your appointment. More information is available at redcrossblood.org/RapidPass.
All presenting donors will receive a coupon for a free Sports Clips haircut following the donation. You must provide a valid email address to receive your Sport Clips coupon. Your coupon will be included in your post-blood drive thank you email from the American Red Cross.